Inked Persuasion (Montgomery Ink Fort Collins #1) - Carrie Ann Ryan Page 0,39

I’d expected them to. But Annabelle and I didn’t want secrets, so this is what we were doing.

“We’re just taking it slow, hanging out as friends. It might be a date, but it’s not too serious. Stop stressing. Both of you. Even if your reasons are opposite each other.”

My parents met gazes, a thousand unsaid words sliding between them.

What would it be like to know somebody so well that you didn’t have to speak to have an entire conversation? I envied that, even if I knew it would never be for me. I’d tried it with Susan, and it hadn’t worked. Now, my dad would, one day soon, not have that anymore. Why would you risk everything for the kind of pain you knew was coming? For the type of pain they’d already felt for Jonah. No, that wasn’t for me. I knew I was blessed to at least have a fragment of it with my parents in my life.

“Don’t hurt her,” my father said, scowling. “It should be serious. It’s the two of you. It can get complicated.”

I nodded. “We know. That’s why we laid out ground rules.”

My mom scoffed. “You know, you young children always say you put down ground rules, then you trample all over them. However, I trust you both to make the right decisions and not be stupid little idiots. I am excited, but I won’t get too giddy. I think this could be amazing, though.”

I shook my head. “You do? And not because you want to see us happy. But is it okay? You know, because of Jonah,” I said, voicing what I’d done my best not to think about.

Was I stealing my brother’s girl? Was I crossing a line and breaking the code that brothers never dared to speak of? The problem was, Jonah never loved Annabelle the way a husband loves his wife. And I knew that Annabelle felt the same. I didn’t know what lines were left to cross. I just hoped I wouldn’t be the one breaking the rules.

“I think your brother would want you to be happy. And you haven’t been happy, my baby boy,” my mother said softly. “You need to be happy. So does Annabelle. And, even if I don’t condone this not-serious talk, if you could have even a slight breath of happiness right now, that would be good.”

“Good,” I said, relief pouring off me. “I promise I won’t hurt her. We’re not going to be serious enough for us to hurt each other.”

My parents once again gave each other a look, but I ignored it.

“And now I need to go home and shower before I pick her up for dinner.” I looked down at my watch. “I might be late.”

“Hurry, go. Thank you for stopping by. We’ll see you on Sunday?” she asked.

“You may see me both days. I love you guys.” I swallowed a ball of emotion, kissed both my parents on the cheeks, and then headed out.

My fingers tapped the steering wheel as I thought about what my parents had said, but I knew that even if I were making a mistake by being with Annabelle, I wasn’t wrong in what our plan should be.

It didn’t make sense for us to want something more than what we already had.

We could have fun. We could care for one another. And we could remain friends.

That’s what needed to happen.

I pulled into my garage and practically leaped out of my car, taking the quickest shower of my life. I pulled on gray slacks and a black, button-up shirt that I figured made me look decent enough for dinner. We were going out for a nice meal, and then planned to come home.

We might do something else, but I wouldn’t pressure her, and I knew Annabelle would never pressure me.

I brushed my hair back and noticed that I needed to shave, but it wasn’t going to happen in the time I had. I rolled my sleeves up to my elbows and called it good. We weren’t going out to a fancy place, and I had noticed Annabelle looking at my forearms before. I might as well let her have a little arm porn tonight. I slid my feet into my shoes, grabbed my wallet, keys, and a couple of condoms, and then headed to my front door.

I opened it, and Annabelle was standing there wearing a pretty, soft-looking, pale pink dress that fit her curves and flared out at mid-thigh. She had on tall heels, carried a